The Rock Remembers Paul Walker

The Rock aka Dwayne Johnson appeared in two films in the 'Fast and Furious' franchise with the late Paul Walker. The actor opened up with a first person account about his friend, who wasn't interested in the spotlight but in working in the movie business mainly to support his family. His true passion was to use his celebrity to help others.

He also shared some insight into Walker's relationship with his daughter Meadow, 15, who recently moved in with her father.

When discussing Walker's aversion to the trappings of fame, Johnson said, "That was one of the interesting things about Paul: His reservations about being in the spotlight and being a star, whatever the definition of that may be. He was motivated by work that allowed him to take care of his family, number one, and that also allowed him the power and the leverage to help people in need and in crisis."

Johnson reflected on the early days of their relationship, saying, "When I first met Paul, I think in our late 20s, we were young kids in the business. Then years later, when I did 'Fast Five,' we had an opportunity to spend a lot of time together and become reacquainted. At that time, we had both been in the business at that time for over a decade, and the most important thing that we had in common was the importance of family time and being a great father to our daughters. We bonded over that."

Johnson also said that fatherhood was their most common shared interest.

"We would talk about silly guy things, his fast cars and my pickup trucks, or we would talk about the beautiful energy of Hawaii— but it always ultimately came back to family," he said. "And very specifically the beautiful and important bond between a father and his daughter, and how we both realized that over the years."

Given their bond over being fathers, it's no shock that Meadow was the first thing that sprung to Johnson's mind when he got news of his friend's tragic death. He said, "Not surprisingly, when I got the news that he had passed away, the first words out of my mouth were: 'He has a daughter.' It’s very sad. We can’t help but to hope that their final time together was beautiful and strong and an amazing memory."